rxvt 2.6.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if the DISPLAY environment variable is not set, which might allow local users to hijack X11 connect
rxvt 2.6.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if the DISPLAY environment variable is not set, which might allow local users to hijack X11 connections. NOTE: it was later reported that rxvt-unicode, mrxvt, aterm, multi-aterm, and wterm are also affected. NOTE: realistic attack scenarios require that the victim enters a command on the wrong machine.
- Published
- Apr 7, 2008
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 28th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-264
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Report tools
Action score
14
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 14 / 40 · 3.7 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.4%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| rxvt | rxvt | cpe:2.3:a:rxvt:rxvt |
| aterm | aterm | cpe:2.3:a:aterm:aterm |
| eterm | eterm | cpe:2.3:a:eterm:eterm |
| mrxvt | mrxvt | cpe:2.3:a:mrxvt:mrxvt |
| multi-aterm | multi-aterm | cpe:2.3:a:multi-aterm:multi-aterm |
| rxvt-unicode | rxvt-unicode | cpe:2.3:a:rxvt-unicode:rxvt-unicode |
| wterm | wterm | cpe:2.3:a:wterm:wterm |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- aterm atermup to 1.0.0 inclusive
- aterm aterm0.1.0
- aterm aterm0.1.1
- aterm aterm0.2.0
- aterm aterm0.3.0
- aterm aterm0.3.1
- aterm aterm0.3.2
- aterm aterm0.3.3
- aterm aterm0.3.4
- aterm aterm0.3.5
- aterm aterm0.3.6
- aterm aterm0.4.0
- aterm aterm0.4.1
- aterm aterm0.4.2
- aterm aterm1.00
- eterm etermup to 0.9.3 inclusive
- eterm eterm0.9.2
- mrxvt mrxvtup to 0.5.2 inclusive
- mrxvt mrxvt0.4.2
- multi-aterm multi-atermup to 0.2 inclusive
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | rxvt-unicode | before 9.22-1.1 | 9.22-1.1 |
| SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP3 | rxvt-unicode | before 9.26-bp154.2.3.1 | 9.26-bp154.2.3.1 |
| SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP3 | rxvt-unicode | before 9.26-bp154.2.3.1 | 9.26-bp154.2.3.1 |
Same product
rxvt: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2003-0066The rxvt terminal emulator 2.7.8 and earlier allows attackers to modify the window title via a certain character escape sequence and then in31Monitor
- CVE-1999-1186rxvt, when compiled with the PRINT_PIPE option in various Linux operating systems including Linux Slackware 3.0 and RedHat 2.1, allows local28Monitor
- CVE-2003-0023The menuBar feature in rxvt 2.7.8 allows attackers to modify menu options and execute arbitrary commands via a certain character escape sequ21Monitor
- CVE-2000-0476xterm, Eterm, and rxvt allow an attacker to cause a denial of service by embedding certain escape characters which force the window to be re21Monitor
- CVE-2003-0022The "screen dump" feature in rxvt 2.7.8 allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a certain character escape sequence when it is ech20Monitor
- CVE-2001-1077Buffer overflow in tt_printf function of rxvt 2.6.2 allows local users to gain privileges via a long (1) -T or (2) -name argument.18Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| opensuse:rxvt-unicode | 9.26-bp154.2.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:rxvt-unicode | 9.26-bp154.2.3.1 · SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP3 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- P · data can be read
- Integrity
- P · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- P · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- High
- Confidentiality impact
- P
- Integrity impact
- P
- Availability impact
- P
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-264 · Permissions, Privileges, and Access ControlsCVSS vector
AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.security.oss.general/122
- bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=469296
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2008-08/msg00006.html
- secunia.com/advisories/29576
- secunia.com/advisories/30224
- secunia.com/advisories/30225
- secunia.com/advisories/30226
- secunia.com/advisories/30227
- secunia.com/advisories/30229
- secunia.com/advisories/31687
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200805-03.xml
- www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:161
- www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:221
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/28512
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.